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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be appalled?

74 replies

LolaTheShowgirl · 09/12/2007 21:18

I am really bothered by the number of people (adults) who can't spell. The standard of literacy on here is high (except for the fishy one, but we'll let her off because she's so funny ) but as I browse various forums I become more and more disgusted at the nation. I'm not the best speller in the world but it's really basic words I saw. I admit i've been browsing dating profiles and out of 20 that i've seen, 4 have had basic words spelt wrong!

OP posts:
TinyTimLivesinVictorianSqualor · 09/12/2007 22:03

swear words/slang/text speak, all a lazy persons way to be descriptive.

bookofchristmascarolsmum · 09/12/2007 22:03

Or pretentious even

mumzyof2 · 09/12/2007 22:19

But isnt that still a 'lack of respect' as you put it?
Is there nothing more important than the odd spelling mistake? And what a way to put people down and make them feel self conscious. I cant think of another single way of making any dyslexics out there lose confidence in there English or themselves.
Awful, I think really quite awful.

mumzyof2 · 09/12/2007 22:20

Oh look, I put 'there' English, instead of 'their'. I hope nobody starts a whole new thread about that spelling mistake?

TenLordsaLapin · 09/12/2007 22:20

Lola you should know by now that the love of spelling is one that dare not speak its name .

In general - and I am talking about the real world, not MN or other forums etc, where people are typing quickly - I think people DO spell poorly (obviously I am not referring to people who have dyslexia etc). I loathe text speak; I am overcome with rage by things like "Bratz" and "MegaBloks" .

It is a shame that so many people do not consider it important. If you struggle with your spelling because you have suffered from poor education, I sympathise and I would never denigrate you for that. But to say "it doesn't matter"? That does anger me.

TinyTimLivesinVictorianSqualor · 09/12/2007 22:22

More a grammatical error than a spelling mistake, but yes, it is. I don't agree with those either.

I save swearing for when I am really annoyed, to express my feeling, I use slang as a joke, if ever at all, and I never use text speak.

Text speak was only acceptable when I was on PAYG and could send more information in one text with shortened words.

TinyTimLivesinVictorianSqualor · 09/12/2007 22:24

Also mumzyof2, one of my best friends is dyslexic, we went through school with me checking her every piece of work before she handed it in, because she felt it important to be able to have spelt correctly. I would never slate her spelling, now or ever. It is a medical reason she spells the way she does, not out of laziness.

NappiesLaChristmasGit · 09/12/2007 22:27

ok, i never judge anyone on typing as mine is atrocious. and dyslexia is always a possibility and i do not look down on that.

but yes, if i were looking for dates, spelling mistakes would Be Noticed

hey! im honest!

TinyTimLivesinVictorianSqualor · 09/12/2007 22:30

I was looking for a vw campervan model for my dp's aunt for christmas recently and the grammar/spelling/general tone of language was awful.
This was website which sells diecast models, surely that should have been spelt correctly??
I don't know anyone who in creating a website for a business would not check their spellings. Same should go for profiles IMO.

chirpygirl · 09/12/2007 22:43

My spelling and frammar is normally pretty good, but when I am BFing and typing 1 handed, or wrong handed, then it is hard enough to type anything let alone worrying about someone judging me for it!

If I was completing a form or something important then i would be more careful, but you can all understand me, so why should it matter?

NappiesLaChristmasGit · 09/12/2007 22:44

lol at 'frammer'

[joke!!]

chirpygirl · 09/12/2007 22:50

bollocks! damn left handed typing!

and smacking myself for not reading thread too. my sis used to send me profiles from dating sites to laugh at, here is part of one I saved.

HI, IM A SINGEL GUY IN LEEDS LOOKEING FOR FRENDSHIP MAYBE MORE

TinyTimLivesinVictorianSqualor · 09/12/2007 22:54

That's the point though chirpygirl, when typing quickly on a thread, mistakes are understandable, but on something you are taking time to actually put out there?

TenLordsaLapin · 09/12/2007 22:55

LOL chirpygirl, that was a genius typo

you can tell from my old posts when I was BFing... absolutely no capital letters and some relly didgy speling

NappiesLaChristmasGit · 09/12/2007 22:55

i once came home to find my money box had been emptied (i was about 12)

my 15yo brother had written a note; xxxx, i dident have eny money, so i took yours. cheers, luv, xxxx.

was SO indignant that my money had gone, and that hed spelled any 'eny' in the note.

i really lovemy brother. now.

chirpygirl · 09/12/2007 23:02
bookofchristmascarolsmum · 09/12/2007 23:08

I used to do calligraphy as a hobby. Being extra tired from work one day I carefully wrote 'the summer of discount' instead of 'the winter of our discontent' at the bottom of a page of Shakespearian verse I'd spent about an hour copying out in beautiful script.

I could have cried - I'd also managed to skip a line so the whole thing was unbalanced. I only took the course in a futile attempt to improve my handwriting - looks more like I needed practice in copying things first! .

catsmother · 09/12/2007 23:13

I wouldn't get your knickers in a knot about spelling on here. As loads have pointed out a good percentage of mistakes on am informal forum will be due to typing errors, speed, or plain old not bothering too much (eg. to look spellings up) as you want to keep up with the flow of a particular topic.

What drives me mad is bad spelling generally - and, in particular, on all manner of "official" documentation, including stupid basic mistakes on websites. I surf a huge variety of sites for my work and it's astonishing how many of them (who, presumably, want to make a good impression to prospective customers) seemingly fail to get their blurb proofread.

TenLordsaLapin · 09/12/2007 23:13

At least you aren't a tattoo artist (it's supposed to say "Chi-town" I think!

DeePancrisPaneven · 09/12/2007 23:22

"Most of the times its letters round the wrong way though and not actually spelling mistakes! ...." yes maureen.....

80sMum · 09/12/2007 23:25

There are some words that seem almost always to be mis-spelt on MN. I'm thinking particularly of 'definitely,' which is very commonly mis-spelt as 'definately.' I'm not sure why this should bother me but it definitely does!

catsmother · 09/12/2007 23:28

as if to prove my point about typos

That should of course have been an and not am. I do know how to spell "an" correctly !

UnquietDad · 09/12/2007 23:29

I am a brilliant speller, but sometimes a less-than-perfect typist.

IorekTheRedNosedArmouredBear · 09/12/2007 23:34

Think this might have got a happier response in pedants' corner.

I'm a bit depressed by really bad spelling - not here on MN where everyone seems to be dead clever (except the people who happen to disagree with me of course ) - but you do see some pretty bad stuff around the place in real life.

Not sure why it bothers me. Maybe because I think it suggests a general failure of education which has got to be a bad thing don't you think?

Still, my own spelling's not so hot anymore - seemed to lose it when I got pregnant and it never came back.

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